Search

Virtual human speaker

The aim of the discussed study was to develop and evaluate a 3D virtual speaker that could use pre-recorded audio-material and possibly be used for audio-visual speech testing in the future. The authors developed the terminal-analogue method that allows to...

Monitoring the mouth in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; or motor neurone disease) is characterised by gradual loss of function in the speech muscles resulting in a progressive deterioration in a person’s ability to communicate. The aim of this study was to investigate the use...

Are ENT surgeons better placed to perform cosmetic ear, nasal and facial procedures?

Cosmetic surgery is an essential component of plastic surgery training and is required in order to CCT. However, the training opportunities in plastic surgery in UK are limited. The current operative requirements for plastic surgery trainees are 100 procedures during...

eSRTs versus eCAP: Which is better?

Electrically evoked compound action potentials (eCAP) and electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) techniques were compared to establish how well the two techniques correlated and which yielded quicker results in a group of paediatric cochlear implant (CI) users. This team...

Sound localisation after bilateral cochlear implantation

Limited information is known about the localisation skills of paediatric cochlear implant patients who were good hearing aid users before their hearing deteriorated. As localisation is a skill often associated with good natural hearing, there is a worry that implants...

Investigation of the role of KPNA2 biomarker in oral SCC invasiveness

This edition of Head and Neck has a strong focus on studies using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to elucidate potential roles of various cell-signalling molecules in both HNSCC and thyroid cancer. The ‘cellular-protein heavy’ title of this article may be off-putting to...

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks after vestibular schwannoma surgery

This study analyses 30-day readmission data after vestibular schwannoma surgery using a multicentre longitudinal State of California dataset. The authors studied risk factors, and timing of readmission in 6820 patients over 15 years. Of these, 490 readmissions were reported for...

Treating middle ear conditions in developing countries

This month’s journal issue discussed global health in otolaryngology with this paper focusing on the management of chronic middle ear disease in the developing world. Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is more common in developing countries. The reason for this...

Hearing loss and QOL

This article evaluates the impact of hearing loss and its rehabilitation on the quality of life (QoL) of adults. The authors suggest that the currently used scale, Aphab, is long, complicated and does not take into account minor changes. The...

Measuring the ‘impact’ of preoperative immunonutrition

Using preoperative nutritional supplements as part of ‘enhanced recovery’ in surgical patients is not a new concept. This interesting paper looks at the latest development in optimising patients undergoing head and neck oncological surgery. Immunonutrition (Nestle’s ‘Oral Impact’ in this...

Success of butterfly myringoplasty in myringosclerosis

Butterfly inlay myringoplasty is a simple surgical technique used in the repair of tympanic membrane perforation. The authors evaluated the effects of myringosclerosis on the success of surgery by reviewing demographic data, perforation size and hearing outcomes of patients undergoing...

Can laryngeal sensitivity testing predict aspiration and pneumonia in dysphagic patients?

The laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) is characterised by brief vocal cord closure in response to laryngeal stimulation. It is important in swallowing physiology as it represents a mechanism for airway protection. The authors of this study examined whether the absence...